Ladle



W. B. MURRAY.

LADLE.

APPLICATION FIEED NOV. H, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Sept.

& igss I 4 Rh a 1 M M .7 7 M M W. B. MURRAY.

LADLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. H 1920.

Patentsd Sept. fi, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Y @311 my W attain Ir a at c WILLIAM BROOKS MURRAY, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GLABK D. TOWNSEND, OFIRONTON, OHIO.

LADLE.

nseaaia Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Sept. a, 1921.

Application filed November 11,1920. Serial No. 423,354.

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ladles used in conveying molten metal and the like, and it comprises a ladle construction wherein a main ladle frame is provided and -an auxiliary ladle frame is pivotally supported therein, the auxiliary frame being provided with a yoke capable of vertical movement with respect thereto, ladle supporting means arranged in said yoke, and means for reciprocatingsaid yoke in said frame.

In foundries molten metal is conveyed from the melting furnaces to the molds in ladles which are generally supported on overhead tracks,'the ladles being pivotally mounted in frames suspended from said tracks. When the metal is to be poured into the mold, it is necessary to tip the ladle in the frame, the ladle being pivotally sup ported for this purpose. The metal is generally poured by hand, and thesize of the ladles used is limited by the ability of the operators to tilt them and pourthe metal.

In the present invention, 1 have provided a construction wherein the ladle is carried in a yoke which is adapted to reciprocate within the auxiliary frame pivoted in the main frame. By means of the present construction, the center of gravity. of the ladle may be arranged below the pivot when the ladle is being conveyed to prevent accidental tiltingof the ladle, and the ladle and yoke may be elevated prior to or during the pouring operation to raise the center of gravity with respect to the pivot, and thus permit the pouring operation with the exertion ofless energy.

By the use of the present invention, the ladle may be tilted by hand power with much greater case after the ladle has been elevated, and thus large ladles may be advantageously employed.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have shown one embodiment of the invention. lln

this showing:

Figure l is a front elevation of a ladle and ladle frame, certain parts being shown in section, 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig.1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the ladle and frame,

Fig. .i is a sectional view on line 4i o-f Fig.1,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of. the auxiliary frame,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the ladle,

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the handles showing a switch'for controlling the ladle elevating motor,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7, I i

Fig. 9 is a diagrammaticview of the motor circuit, and,

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a cover employed in connection'with the ladle.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the main ladle frame, which is provided with a pair of vertical arms 2, of the usual type, producing a substantially yoke-like structure. The frame is supported from a suspension rod 3, which may be secured to suitable conveying means (not shown), mounted on an overhead track (not shown). As shown, the lower end of the rod is provided with an enlarged head 4,

and the frame is provided with a collar 5.

through which the rod passes. Anti-friction rollers 6 may be arranged between the head 4 and the collar 5.

The lower ends ofthe vertical rods 2 are provided with openings for the reception of trunnions 7, carried by an auxiliary frame 8. The auxiliary frame comprises a pair of substantially vertical members 9 and ahorizontal connecting member 10 arranged at the top. Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, each of the vertical members is provided with enlargements 11 forming a support for the reciprocating yoke. A cross-head 12 is arranged in'each ofthe enlargements, the cross head being provided with side flanges 13 adapted to be received in. the vertical recesses 1a of the enlargements. The bottom of the enlz rgements are each provided with flanges 15 to normally support the cross head and prevent its being lowered out of the any iliary frame.

A yoke 16 is rigidly secured to the cross heads 12, the yoke being provided with a pair of vertical arms 17, having openings therein for the reception of bolts 18, the ends of the bolts being received in openings 19 in the cross head. Flanges 20 are arranged on the cross head opposite the flanges 13 to retain the arms in proper position. A threaded rod 21 is arranged on the yoke, and is adapted to pass through an opening formed in a thrust collar 22, carried by the horizontal portion 10 of the auxiliary frame. A worm wheel 23, having internal threads for the reception of the threaded rod is arranged above the horizontal portion 10 and is connected to a plate 24, which rotates on a plate 25, carried by the horizontal portion of the auxiliary frame. Suitable anti-frictional bearings 26 may be arranged between the plates. The worm wheel is adapted to be driven by a. worm 27 mounted on the shaft 28 of motor 29. The motor may be sup-.

ported on a platform or enlargement 30 formed on the horizontal portion 10 of the auxiliary frame (see Fig. 5).

'The cross heads are provided with ears 31, having registering openings 32 arranged therein. A ring 33 is arranged around the ladle 34 and suitably secured thereto to prevent displacement of the ladle,a ring being provided with lugs 35 which are adapted to be received between the ears and held in position by means of pins 36, passing through the openings 32. The opposite end of the ears are closed by a plate 87 which prevents displacement of the ladle. A cover 38 may be arranged above the ladleto prevent splashing of the metal therein. As shown in Fig.1 of the drawings, the cover is slightly spaced therefrom and the upper edge of the ladle is provided with a recess 39 to permit pouring. The cover is provided with arms 40 having ears 41 which are adapted to embrace the vertical arms of the yoke. The cover may be adjusted and retained in any suitable position by means of set screws 42.

. Operating handles 43.are mounted on each side of the ladle, the operating handles being provided with shafts 44 having squared ends 45, adapted to be received in square openings 46 in the trunnions 7. v One of the handles is provided with a reversing switch 47 to controlthe operation of the motor.

'The detail construction of the switch is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. As shown, a sleeve of insulating material 48 is arranged around the handle and this sleeve is provided with a pair of spring contacts 49. The handle is provided with a plurality of contacts arranged .in pairs, the contacts 50 serving to rotate the motor in one direction and the contacts 51 in the opposite direction.

The motor circuit is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, wherein 52 represents a source of current having lead wires 53 and 54. A suitable switch 55 may be arranged in one of the lead wires. The armature of the motor is represented at 56, and is connected to lead wires 53 and 54 by connections 57 and 58, respectively. The motor field is designated by the reference numeral 59 and is provided with suitable connections 60 and 61. The contacts 50 and 51 are diagrammatically illustrated in the connections 60 and 61, respectively, and the movable contacts 49 are diagrammatically illustrated in lead wires 53 and 54, respectively.

A latch 62 is pivotally supported on one of the arms 2 of the main frame and is adapted to engage one of the arms 9 of the auxiliary frame to prevent relative movement of the frames when the latch is in position. A chain 63 is secured to these arms to limit the movement of the auxiliary frame when the ladle is tilted. The chain is sufficiently long to permit swinging of the auxiliary frame to the desired distance when the contents of a ladle are being poured, and to prevent further swinging thereof. f

The operation of the device is as follows:

The molten metal, or other material to be conveyed, is placed in the ladle in the usual manner, the ladle and yoke being preferably arranged in their lowermost position to minimize the possibility of accidental tilting of the ladle. When the ladle is in its lowermost position, the crossrods 12 rest on the flanges 15 and all strain is thereby removed from the threaded rod, 21, the motor, and associated parts. lVhen the ladle is to be poured, the motor 29 may be operated to revolve the worm wheel 23, and thus raise the ladle and yoke 16 through the engagement of threaded rod 21, and the worm wheel. When the yoke is elevated, the cross heads ride upwardly in the enlargements 11 and the center of gravity of, the ladle is raised with respect to the pivots formed by trunnions 7. The ladle may be elevated either before or during the pouring operation, the ladle being tiltedby the workman revolving the shafts 44 through handles 48. When the shafts are revolved, the trunnions 7 are rotated in .the main frame, and the auxiliar frame, the yoke, and the ladle are revolved about the trunnion as pivots.

After the ladle has been poured, it may be replaced by a filled ladle by removing pins 36 and placing a new ladle in the yoke, the lugs of the new ladle being arranged between the ears 31, and the pin 36 replaced. When the ladle has been removed from the frame, the latch 62 prevents relative movement of the auxiliary frame with respect to the main frame, the auxiliary frame having a tendency to swing on the pivots 7 after the ladle has been removed because of the change of contacts 50 and 51, the sleeve 48 being revolved for this purpose. When one of said contacts are engaged, the current flows through the motor field 59 in one'direction, and this revolves the shaft 28 in one direction to elevate the ladle and yoke. When the other of said contacts are engaged, the path of current through the motor field is reversed and the motor is revolved in the opposite direction to lower the ladle.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same,- and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, and a ladle supported in said auxiliary frame and capable of vertical movement therein.

2. A ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a yoke supported by said auxiliary frame and capable of vertical movement, and ladle supporting means carried by said yoke.

3. A ladle construction comprising amain frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a ladle supported by said auxiliary frame and capable of independent move ment, and means for moving said ladle independently of the auxiliary frame.

4. A ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a ladle supported by said auxiliary frame and capable of vertical move ment in said frame, and means for moving said ladle in said frame.

5. In a ladle construction, a ladle frame, ladle supporting means pivotally mounted in said frame, and means for elevating said ladle supporting means independently of the frame.

6. A ladli, construction comprising amain frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, ladle supporting means carried by said auxiliary frame and capable of vertical movement therein, a motor arranged on said auxiliary frame, and operating means for said ladle supporting means connected to said motor.

7. A. ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a yoke supported by said auxiliary frame, ladle supporting means carried by said yoke, and means for elevating said yoke independently of the frame.

8. A ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a vertically movable yoke carried by said auxiliary frame and adapted to support a ladle, a threaded rod secured to said yoke, a gear wheel carried by said auxiliary frame, said gear wheel having threaded engagement with said rod, and means for revolving said gear.

9. A ladle construction comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted therein, a vertically movable yoke carried by said auxiliary frame, said yoke being provided with ears for the reception of a ladle, a threaded rod carried by said yoke, a gear mounted on said auxiliary frame and having a threaded opening therein for the reception of said rod, and means for revolving said gear to cause vertical movement of the yoke.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BROOKS MURRAY.

/Vitnesses EUGENE MURRAY, EARLE E. MURRAY. 

